We recently connected with Jared Dillingham and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jared, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.
We focus on creating easy-to-read and visually appealing travel blogs. They’re designed for normal people who have to navigate budgets for both vacation time and finances. One thing that sets Jared’s Detours apart is: when we travel, we try to help bring attention to newer businesses or companies.
We’ve recently put a spotlight on new developments and restaurants in Great Falls, Montana, and on a relatively unknown natural wonder in Peru.
During our last visit to Cusco, we worked with a blossoming new tour company, trying to bounce back from a few rough years. Peru’s tourism industry was hit by a lengthy pandemic closure, and then by political unrest.
As the country reopened in 2023, the fledgling company began running tours of a stunning mountain called Pallay Punchu. We provided imagery, and helped get them listed on a major tour site (in addition to our own) which gives them mass exposure to the US market.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’ve been a TV journalist for 20 years, most of them in Arizona. During the pandemic, when only a few of us were allowed into the studio, I volunteered to work a 6th day to start a travel segment on the Sunday morning newscast. Travel’s always been a passion, and I was looking for something to put on TV other than pandemic and politics! It became quite popular, and has now been running for three years.
One thing led to another, and a photographer friend and I launched a travel website. We poured a lot of time into it, and the photos were beautiful, but it failed. We had no traffic because we had no idea what we were doing!
After enrolling in a series of SEO courses, we relaunched a new website: Jared’s Detours. It’s quickly gained traction, and is showing tremendous growth, month-to-month.
I do the evening news in Phoenix, working 2:00pm – 11:00pm, and then come home to work on the travel site each night until after 2:00am. It feels like I’m working two full-time jobs, but it’s very rewarding to see how many people are using our advice and information.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I run Jared’s Detours with my photographer friend, Matt Ehnes. I knew Matt a decade ago, but we really only had friends in common. During the pandemic, I was looking for more to do (aside from covering politics and the pandemic on the news).
At the same time, he was looking for a new challenge, too. He specializes in portraiture (families and weddings) and wanted to branch out into travel. It was perfect timing for both of us, as we looked to broaden our skillsets.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I’m responsive. I make sure I’m easy to contact, and people feel like they can reach out and ask about destinations on my website, along with destinations I haven’t written about. A key example is my high-ranking post on permits for Havasupai Falls. It’s an unbelievably gorgeous hike, with a permit system that’s notoriously difficult. I had a lot of questions coming in, and many times I think people are surprised to get a detailed answer!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jaredsdetours.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jareddillinghamtravel
- Other: Can you hyperlink these four sites, which I mention in the text of my answers: 1. When I mention “restaurants in Great Falls Montana” : https://www.jaredsdetours.com/great-falls-restaurants/ 2. When I mention “Pallay Punchu” : https://www.jaredsdetours.com/pallay-punchu/ 3. When I mention “Cusco” : https://www.jaredsdetours.com/cusco-to-machu-picchu/ 4. When I mention “Havasupai Falls”: https://www.jaredsdetours.com/havasupai-falls-permits/
Image Credits
Matt Ehnes